Welcome to the traveling hot dog cart, "Bikini Weenies". Best in Rocky Point! The owners will be located temporarily out front of our Coldwell Banker By the Sea office on Thursday's Friday's and Saturday's. Soon to come will be their website and advertising on Facebook as to their location and dates.

Brand New Build in Cholla Bay! 4 bedroom 3 bath home with spectacular panoramic ocean and city views. Over 2000 square feet plus a huge RV/Boat garage all built on a DOUBLE SIZE lot that you can use for ample parking or to even build a second home for a complete family oasis in Mexico.

2nd row 2BD/2BT home with spectacular views of the Sea of Cortez. Furnished. Has enclosed sun deck and 2 outside patios. Garden area, two garages, one for the car and the other for toys. Views of the sea from most all rooms. Quiet neighborhood in Cholla.

Follow me to view daily updates about Rocky Point and Investment Opportunities.

If you know a family or friends that have interest in selling or purchasing property in our Paradise, I would appreciate the opportunity to be of service to them. I am competent of the present market, and would look forward to Coldwell Banker and I to serve you.

In Mexico, Christmas is celebrated from the December 12th to January 6th.

From December 16th to Christmas Eve, children often perform the 'Posada' processions or Posadas. Posada is Spanish for Inn or Lodging. There are nine Posadas. These celebrate the part of the Christmas story where Joseph and Mary looked for a room in an Inn. For the Posadas, the outside of houses are decorated with evergreens, moss and paper lanterns.

In each Posada, children are given candles and a board, with painted clay figures of Mary riding on a donkey and Joseph, to process round the streets with. They call at the houses of friends and neighbors and sing a song at each home. The song they sing is about Joseph and Mary asking for a room in the house. But the children are told that there is no room in the house and that they must go away. Eventually they are told there is room and are welcomed in! When the children go into the house they say prayers of thanks and then they have a party with food, games and fireworks.

Each night a different house hold the Posada party. At the final Posada on Christmas Eve, a manger and figures of shepherds are put on to the board. When the Posada house has been found, a baby Jesus is put into the manger and then families go to a midnight Church service. After the Church service there are more fireworks to celebrate the start of Christmas.

One game that is often played at Posada parties is piñata. A piñata is a decorated clay or papier-mâché jar filled with sweets and hung from the ceiling or tree branch. The piñata is often decorated something like a ball with seven peaks around it. The peaks or spikes represent the 'seven deadly sins'. piñata's can also be in the form of an animal or bird (such as a donkey). To play the game, children are blind-folded and take it in turns to hit the piñata with a stick until it splits open and the sweets pour out. Then the children rush to pick up as many sweets as they can!

In Mexico, children get their main presents at Epiphany (January 6th). In Mexico, Epiphany is known as 'El Dia de los Reyes' (the day of The Three Kings). The presents are left by the Three Kings (or Magi). It's traditional to eat a special cake called 'Rosca de Reyes' (Three Kings Cake) on Epiphany. A figure of Baby Jesus is hidden inside the cake. Whoever has the baby Jesus in their piece of cake is the 'Godparent' of Jesus for that year.

Recipe of the month

Every Christmas since I was a little girl, my family always made lefse.

Lefse is Norwegian potato bread, similar to a Tortilla.

My family would join at my home and my sisters, nieces and nephews came for the annual lesson from my mom. Mom always made it the best, the thinner the better.

Today, my sisters, nieces and nephews and I try to get together to follow our family tradition. Unfortunately this year I was not able to participate in our family tradition, however my plan is to get together with a few friends from Rocky Point and share our Lefse making.

Vista de Oro #130, located in a very private area. Quiet, serene neighborhood with views of the Sea of Cortez. 3BD/2BT home well maintained, looks like new. Home furnished as is. Guest bedroom #2 with a many creative features.

ollow me to view daily updates about Rocky Point and Investment Opportunities.

If you know a family or friends that have interest in selling or purchasing property in our Paradise, I would appreciate the opportunity to be of service to them. I am competent of the present market, and would look forward to Coldwell Banker and I to serve you. Please contact me.

Day of the dead event held in Casa de La Cultura located in Blvd. Benito Juarez in front of Municipal Hall, the tradition for this day include creating altars to honor the dead, laying out offerings, sharing stories of the deceased, as well as cleaning and decorating gravesites. Because Day of the Dead is a very festive, creative holiday, current Day of the Dead customs also include festivals, parades, and the making of Dia de los Muertos crafts.

Altar to honor Frida Kahlo

Altar to honor Walt Disney

Creating Day of the Dead altars is one of the most important Day of the Dead traditions. Day of the Dead altars are typically created inside people's homes to honor the spirits of their deceased loved ones. When Dia de los Muertos is embraced by the community, non-secular altars are also created in schools, government offices, and other community spaces.

Day of the Dead altars are set up on the two days leading up to Dia de los Muertos. Altars contain "offerings" for the dead, known as ofrenda. These include items such as:

In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs, pecans and butter. Press onto the bottom of prepared pan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.

For filling, in a large bowl, beat 1 package of cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in remaining cream cheese, one package at a time until smooth. Add remaining sugar and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined.

Place 2 cups filling in a small bowl; stir in pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Remove 3/4 cup pumpkin filling; set aside. Pour remaining pumpkin filling over crust; top with remaining plain filling. Cut through with a knife to swirl. Drop reserved pumpkin filling by spoonfuls over cheesecake; cut through with a knife to swirl.

Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan. Bake 55-65 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.

Vista de Oro #130, located in a very private area. Quiet, serene neighborhood with views of the Sea of Cortez. 3BD/2BT home well maintained, looks like new. Home furnished as is. Guest bedroom #2 with a many creative features.

ollow me to view daily updates about Rocky Point and Investment Opportunities.

If you know a family or friends that have interest in selling or purchasing property in our Paradise, I would appreciate the opportunity to be of service to them. I am competent of the present market, and would look forward to Coldwell Banker and I to serve you. Please contact me.

Friday morning about 6 AM September 26th a Sonoran Sun owner saw a sea turtle on the beach. He called security and the alert security personnel discovered where the turtle had laid her eggs. They called the police who kept the area safe until Saturday morning when a Marine Biologist from the Mayan Palace could come out. She took 67 eggs to be incubated for 30 to 40 days at which time they will be returned to the beach, carefully replaced in the exact same spot and closely guarded until they hatch and make their way to the sea.

Roasted cauliflower? A whole head of cauliflower? This recipe has you slathering cauliflower in a spicy yogurt marinade and roasting it at a high temperature. The result is an amazingly delicious dish that’s as dramatic in presentation as it is easy in preparation. Serve it with a big green salad (we suggest lime juice and olive oil for the dressing) for an easy weeknight supper.

At ProAlliance Insurance we promise to continue to look for ways to be innovative and proactive in serving our clientele. And we’re looking for opportunities to promote this community by sponsorship of local events.

ProAlliance is a direct result of my desire to bring you the very best options for all your Mexico insurance and bonds. As a full-service agency we also help with FM3/FM2 applications and renewals, Mexican citizenship, legal services, and much more.

My name is Rosie Glover, and ProAlliance Insurance (in case you missed it in our logo) is my company. It’s important that you understand my commitments to you; service, quality, value, dependability, and professionalism. I’ve always believed that if one focuses on service, success is inevitable. ProAlliance Insurance is a direct result of my desire to bring you the very best options for all your insurance and bonding needs in Mexico.

ollow me to view daily updates about Rocky Point and Investment Opportunities.

If you know a family or friends that have interest in selling or purchasing property in our Paradise, I would appreciate the opportunity to be of service to them. I am competent of the present market, and would look forward to Coldwell Banker and I to serve you. Please contact me.

Come to Rocky Point and celebrate one of the major festivities in Mexico, and be part of the celebration and enjoy the music, food and fireworks the night of the 15th at approximately 8:00 pm in front of the City Hall,(Corner of Freemont and Benito Juarez) in Rocky Point.

Rare bird species spotted at Bird Island. Next time you visit contact ECO-FUN1 for a tour to Bird Island.

Per National Geographic-Blue-footed boobies are aptly named, and males take great pride in their fabulous feet. During mating rituals, male birds show off their feet to prospective mates with a high-stepping strut. The bluer the feet, the more attractive the mate.

These boobies live off the western coasts of Central and South America. The Galápagos Islands population includes about half of all breeding pairs of blue-footed boobies.

Like other boobies, blue-foots nest on land at night. When day breaks, they take to the air in search of seafood, sometimes fishing in cooperative groups. They may fly far out to sea while keeping a keen eye out for schools of small fish, such as anchovies. When their prey is in sight, these seabirds utilize the physical adaptations that make them exceptional divers. They fold their long wings back around their streamlined bodies and plunge into the water from as high as 80 feet (24 meters). Blue-footed boobies can also dive from a sitting position on the water's surface.

Assemblage started on a Monday (August 11) and that monster was twirling in the wind by Friday. Words can't describe the sheer largeness of this project, especially when you consider how quickly it became a working machine that will generate enough electricity to power some 2,700 folks for the next 20 years or so.

In the past couple of weeks the purchase of Sandy Beach Medical Center by the Amerimed company to establish Hospital Amerimed Puerto Peñasco was completed after months of negotiation. The result is Dr. González becoming Medical Director and co-owner of the new hospital which will continue to operate during the extensive architectural changes to the existing building bringing in new and advanced CTSCAN radiology equipment, surgical equipment, expanding emergency rooms and adding treatment rooms along with surgery and hospital recovery rooms and actual hospital rooms so patients don’t have to be transported elsewhere unless absolutely needed for the patients well being.Highly trained staff members are in place now and new medical personal will be arriving very soon which will allow 3 fully staffed medical shifts to operate the hospital 24/7 year around.

PLACE Abuelita chocolate and remaining 1 can media crema in medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat; set aside.

BEAT butter in large bowl until creamy. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Alternately add flour mixture, milk and Abuelita mixture to butter, mixing well after each addition until consistency of thick cake batter (masa). (If masa is dry add a few tablespoons of warm milk; mix well.)

Tony Ballesteros, a professional photographer in Puerto Penasco is very well known in our Paradise of Rocky Point. Tony does all photography from marriages to outdoor wild life. I have many favorite photos, however one of my favorites are the Osprey mates feeding their chicks. Tony climbed a building that is under construction about 8 stories high to capture the nest and the parents feeding the chicks. Look closely at the photo, you can see the fish below the adult on the right and take a look at their nest, it's made of everything imaginable. Please take a tour of our Coldwell Banker By the Sea office next time you're in the Malecon to view several more outstanding photos. You'll be amazed and in awe.

ollow me to view daily updates about Rocky Point and Investment Opportunities.

If you know a family or friends that have interest in selling or purchasing property in our Paradise, I would appreciate the opportunity to be of service to them. I am competent of the present market, and would look forward to Coldwell Banker and I to serve you. Please contact me.

We not only celebrate human birthday's but also furry kids birthday. Kosak, really enjoyed his surprise birthday party, dog carrot cake with yogurt.

Pet safety in the summer

Higher temperatures may translate into more time spent outdoors, but for pet owners, they can also mean more visits to the veterinarian. "In the summer, we see more skin and ear infections and an increase in injuries overall," says Sandra Sawchuk, DVM, at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Here's how to protect your pet during the warmer months:

Use Sunscreen, Please!

Shield delicate skin. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in dogs and second most common in cats. Even though fur provides some protection from the sun, you should apply a pet sunblock every 3 to 4 hours to the least hair-covered spots: bellies on dogs (especially ones who like to lie on their backs) and ears and around eyes on cats, which are also areas where malignant tumors are likely to show up. (No need to apply sunscreen directly on fur.) Use products made specifically for pets, such as Epi-Pet Sun Protector Sunscreen ($18; epi-pet.com), which is safe for dogs—ingredients such as zinc oxide can be toxic to pets.

The beaches of Puerto Peñasco have seen a 5% growth in tourism from the U.S. during the month of July, which could close out with nearly 280,000 visitors.
According to info provided by the local Convention and Visitors Bureau (OCV), July has had 70 to 75% occupancy rates at beachfront hotels, with many weekends reporting to be completely full. This represents a 5% increase over the same period last year.READ MORE

Missed the Supermoon In July? There's Another In August

If overcast skies spoiled your view of the much hyped July 12th 'Supermoon', no problemo, amigo. You'll have not one, but two more opportunities this year to gaze at, photograph, or otherwise enjoy the phenomenon of a Supermoon. The photos in this story are of the July Supermoon, taken by our friend and local photographer, Tony Ballesteros, who endured through the wee hours of July 11th to capture these awesome images. Thanks Tony!
What is a supermoon?
. READ MORE

The Midnight Wreck Off-Road race will be a two night race, 4 laps on Friday night and 4 laps on Saturday night, run in the opposite direction on Saturday night. It will be a 24 mile course from Sandy beach to Cholla Bay.

Rinse all vegetables in cool running water. Cut romaine lettuce head in half, flat side down and chop in
1-inch increments. Prepare cucumber, jicama, onion, and corn as indicated above. Toss lettuce,
cucumber, jicama, corn, and onion together in a large bowl. In a blender container, add avocado, orange
juice, lime juice, garlic, salt, and cilantro. Cover and blend until smooth. Add dressing to a squeeze
bottle to serve.

Follow me to view daily updates about Rocky Point and Investment Opportunities.

If you know a family or friends that have interest in selling or purchasing property in our Paradise, I would appreciate the opportunity to be of service to them. I am competent of the present market, and would look forward to Coldwell Banker and I to serve you. Please contact me.

Our Rocky Point real estate market is improving; as you can see the average sales of the properties have increased $70,000.00 and the Dates on the Market has decreased significantly. Looking at our trends of increase prices, it looks as though if you have interest to purchase a lot, lovely home or condo the time is now.

In Part V of our impact study we discussed ways a destination like ours could duplicate the very effective methods cruise lines have been using for forty years that have led to their continuous growth. That is to ask questions and listen to the answers, then give them more than they

asked for.

Before we delve too deeply into the marketing science of garnering the valuable information that reveals what would make a cruise passenger a potential vacationer to our little slice of paradise by the sea, let’s take a macro look at the complex considerations of cruise operators just to select ports of call and itineraries.

Through the research methods covered in last month’s Part V, the cruise industry selects ports of call and itineraries only after careful study to maximize commercial potential and utilize ship assets.

Perhaps most significant from a market perspective is that the cruise industry enjoys several unique characteristics rarely found in other segments of the tourism industry. For example, because cruise operators are fundamentally supply driven—demand always exceeds supply—cruise operators can “create” demand simply by providing new capacity (ships), then fairly easily find customers to fill them, which is just a matter of making their loyal customer base aware of what’s new.

Jellyfish can be found on both coasts of Baja, although usually not in great numbers on either coast. The larger jellyfish, often up to one foot or more in diameter, can be found occasionally along the west coast of Baja. They are usually found offshore, but can sometimes be found in the surf line as well. The sting of a large jellyfish can cause significant pain, but the pain is usually temporary and rarely lasts more than a day or two. Since they are relatively easy to see in the water, jellyfish can usually be avoided.MORE INFO

STINGRAYS

Stingrays are diamond shaped animals with flat bodies found in ocean waters on both the Pacific Coast of Baja as well as the Sea of Cortez side, usually in shallow warm waters with sandy bottoms. They tend to be more prevelent on the Sea of Cortez side of Baja, and usually hang out together in groups. The larger rays tend to stay in deeper water. Most swimmers use the 'Stingray Shuffle' as the primary method of avoiding these marine animals. By simply shuffling your feet while walking forward in the water, most stingrays will do their best to get out of the way. READ MORE

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed, until light and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and stir until smooth.

Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.

For the icing, combine the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mixing just until smooth.

Spread three-fourths of the icing on the top of the cooled sheet cake. Outline the flag on the top of the cake with a toothpick. Fill the upper left corner with blueberries. Place 2 rows of raspberries across the top of the cake like a red stripe. Put the remaining icing in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe two rows of white stripes below the raspberries. Alternate rows of raspberries and icing until the flag is completed. Pipe stars on top of the blueberries.

I serve this cake right in the pan. If you want to turn it out onto a board before frosting, use parchment paper when you grease and flour the pan.

OXXO's have taken over Rocky Point. The Old Port "Malecon" mini OXXO is one of the busiest OXXO's I've ever seen in Rocky Point. Coldwell Banker by the Sea is just next door to the mini OXXO. Stop by and visit our By the Sea office.

Follow me to view daily updates about Rocky Point and Investment Opportunities.

If you know a family or friends that have interest in selling or purchasing property in our Paradise, I would appreciate the opportunity to be of service to them. I am competent of the present market, and would look forward to Coldwell Banker and I to serve you. Please contact me.

Fathers day in Mexico is also celebrated 3rd Sunday in June, this year's celebration will take place on June 15th.

Happy Father's Day to you!

ROAD WORK

Road work still continues on Blvd. Benito Juarez and Blvd. Samuel Ocaña. The picture above shares with you how the road will look once the work is finished.

When traveling to the Sandy Beach condos, I would recommend to take the round-about entering into Rocky Point and exit to the Laguna del Mar exit, travel west about 2 miles, cross the railroad tracks and take a left. You'll see the condos in the background.

Follow me to view daily updates about Rocky Point and Investment Opportunities.

If you know a family or friends that have interest in selling or purchasing property in our Paradise, I would appreciate the opportunity to be of service to them. I am competent of the present market, and would look forward to Coldwell Banker and I to serve you. Please contact me.

Remembering the Veterans that have served and are serving and their families and friends.

VICTORIA DAY

May 19, 2014

INTRODUCING NEW AGENT FOR COLDWELL BANKER BY THE SEA

TONY KAUFMAN

After graduating from UCLA, the first 25 years of my working life was spent in the Life Insurance and Financial Planning industries. I obtained s CLU (Certified Life Underwriter) designation, as well as ChFC (Chartered Financial Consultant), which I earned at The American College, Bryn Mawr, PA.

More recently, for the past 18 years, my wife and I have owned and operated International Intelligence Services, a private investigation firm based in Seattle. My wife, Lisa, stays busy managing the firm (via the internet) from her home/office on the beach with a view of the Sea of Cortez. “Heavenly” is how she would describe her work environment.

My wife and I had always dreamed of becoming beach bums when we retired. We had looked at various islands in the Caribbean, but when we visited Puerto Penasco, we fell in love with it immediately. We went back home, sold everything, and moved here full time, opting not to wait until retirement.

The first few years we were here, I enjoyed having the time (and beautiful weather) to play golf anytime, but I missed the interaction I enjoyed with our clients in Seattle. I'm too young to retire! So, it was time to start another career. I am really excited to be joining the team at Coldwell Banker by the Sea, and even more exited about the prospect of helping people find their own slice of Paradise.

Follow me to view daily updates about Rocky Point and Investment Opportunities.

If you know a family or friends that have interest in selling or purchasing property in our Paradise, I would appreciate the opportunity to be of service to them. I am competent of the present market, and would look forward to Coldwell Banker and I to serve you. Please contact me.

During Semana Santa, Rocky Point lives a party that begins early in the morning at its hundreds of restaurants, shops and public squares. Most of the people unite at the Malecon where they enjoy a wide variety of food and shopping at one the many local crafts shops. During the night you will enjoy an incredible atmosphere at any of the restaurants, bars or night clubs. As you decide to stroll around the Malecon you will be able to enjoy traditional music bands of the region. The great family atmosphere that exists in each of the Resorts, which are prepared with special activities during this time to welcome families that would like to enjoy the first sunny days of the year overlooking the marvelous Sea of Cortes. If you are thinking of making your Easter vacation in Rocky Point, we strongly advise of making your Reservation well ahead of time, since during this time all the Resorts get reserved months in advance and the occupancy is 100%.

FARISEOS

Who are these men and why do they do this? These are the well-known Fariseos or “Chapayecas” (meaning long-nosed in Yaqui), representative of a custom from the Yaqui tribe of Sonora.

They are called Fariseos (Pharisees) in being the most hated characters from the Passion of the Christ, a representation of the evil of hypocrisy, and the absurd, which is way the Yaqui take on this role as a mandate (a sacrifice offered to God for a special request). They suffer and expunge their sins. Fariseos make their own masks, which they must wear for forty days as they go through pueblos.

During the festivities of Holy Week, young men and adults adorn particular dress and cover their faces with handmade masks of cow, goat, and deer hides so they are unrecognizable. They are prohibited from speaking and can only communicate through signs. Under the mask it is said they have a rosary cross in their mouth, which is worn around the neck, in order to prevent them from speaking as well as to prevent sin from entering or to fall into temptation. It is said that when a Yaqui man goes to put on his mask, he must lay on the ground and from there place it on their head, simulating as if he were dead and now lives through the character of the mask.

There are those who assure that when Fariseos ask for money this doesn’t have much to do with raising funds, affirming they are very spiritual people; rather, begging is to represent the roles of evil and frugality.

It is not until Black Saturday (Easter Saturday) when the dress and masks worn throughout Lent are removed, and burned in a fire. Then, flowers that represent Black Saturday are thrown upon the burning masks, symbolizing the sinner’s re-encounter with God.

This is a broad picture of the Fariseos, which can vary depending on the region; there are small details that differentiate among each Yaqui group as it is very important to define roots and territories. So, once this period is gone, silence returns to the streets and it won’t be until next year when these mysterious men reappear, and the drum and the rattle remind us of their shocking masks, theirs and ours.